PM Jacinda Ardern on compulsory masks and last week's CBD lockdown
The Prime Minister has indicated masks will be made compulsory on Auckland public transport and flights for the "foreseeable future".
Cabinet meets today to discuss making masks mandatory on planes and Auckland public transport in a bid to prevent further community transmission of Covid-19.
The new rules could be inforce as early as Thursday, though some experts say the public health order should be broadened to give more protection against the deadly virus.
It follows a community infection scare last week after an AUT student tested positive for the virus after going to work and visiting various other business in the central city while potentially infectious.
Ardern told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that while wearing maks on public transport would immediately impact Auckland commuters, the extent it would impact the rest of the country was under discussion. She said Cabinet would be taking a "proportionate" approach.
"No one wants Covid to be with us but for long as it is these precautions are necessary for the foreseeable - we're not talking about short term here."
She said Cabinet would be taking a proportionate approach.
Ardern today defended the move to request Auckland's CBD workers to stay home Friday saying it was a necessary move which took into account the various risks.
The new case connected to the Defence Force cluster was confirmed after returning a "weak positive" result on Saturday.
The person's initial test was negative but a further test picked up the weak positive result which officials investigated further.
The Ministry of Health said the test results indicated a "very recent infection".
The neighbour was classed as a close contact of the AUT student - also known as Case D - who lives in the Vincent Residences and attended work last week at A-Z Collection on High St despite being unwell.
The neighbour has been in the Auckland quarantine facility since November 12.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Unit has also identified seven close contacts and three casual contacts. All have been contacted and testing arranged.
Saturday was the highest number of tests processed in one day at a weekend since August 16.
Almost 70 per cent of the testing was in the Auckland region and 10 per cent in the Wellington region.
The ministry was continuing to ask people who were at the locations of interest to get a test regardless of whether they had symptoms.
A list of testing sites can be found on the ARPHS website.
The latest community infection has also sparked an increase in Covid Tracer App poster scans.
On Saturday, the highest number of poster scans was recorded since September 26; there were more than 1.1m scans and more than 500,000 people using the app.
